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Parish precept frozen - but is it still too high?

RESIDENTS in Stratton St Margaret will continue to pay on average £105 a year to the parish council after the council froze its precept.

The council has made a number of efficiency savings in order to keep the precept down, including scaling back salaries for the clerk and deputy clerk. Originally both salaries totalled £52,900 a year, but this has now been scaled back to come out of a budget of £48,700 a year.

Nigel Chalk, finance officer at the Stratton St Margaret Parish Council, was pleased that they had been able to freeze the precept, in real terms making a saving as the inflation rate hits two per cent. It is also hoped the refurbished Grange Leisure Centre will start to pay for itself.

He said: “Our leisure centre isn’t run by the borough unlike other leisure centres and we have to pay for that as well as the running of the council. We have frozen the precept which actually means a saving for residents.”

However, the high precept continues to be controversial.

Coun Dale Heenan, cabinet member for strategic planning and sustainability, said: “Stratton needs to get a grip of itself. Last year’s parish council tax increase was agreed in secret, this year the £52,000 a year clerk is sacked with a rumoured payoff, the deputy clerk resigns, no budget consultation and no resident in Stratton, Coleview or Nythe has a clue what the parish are actually doing for the £750,000 they pay in taxes yet the parish is happy to pay a new clerk £48,000 a year.

“The one saving grace is that after years of pressure, Stratton parish have frozen their parish council tax.”

Comments

stratton man
12:38pm Mon 10 Feb 14

Cllr heenan is making untrue allegations in his statement above.The Parish Clerk was not sacked but resigned to persue his career after steering the community centre refurbishment through to its successful conclusion.There has not been a deputy clerk for many years so this statement Is also fantasy. I suggest this unpleasant little man issues an immediate public apology to Mr Russell and the Parish Council.He might also like like to explain his role in the Borough Council withholding £82000 from the Parish the despite his own Government saying this was wrong.

Cllr heenan is making untrue allegations in his statement above.The Parish Clerk was not sacked but resigned to persue his career after steering the community centre refurbishment through to its successful conclusion.There has not been a deputy clerk for many years so this statement Is also fantasy. I suggest this unpleasant little man issues an immediate public apology to Mr Russell and the Parish Council.He might also like like to explain his role in the Borough Council withholding £82000 from the Parish the despite his own Government saying this was wrong.stratton man

Cllr heenan is making untrue allegations in his statement above.The Parish Clerk was not sacked but resigned to persue his career after steering the community centre refurbishment through to its successful conclusion.There has not been a deputy clerk for many years so this statement Is also fantasy. I suggest this unpleasant little man issues an immediate public apology to Mr Russell and the Parish Council.He might also like like to explain his role in the Borough Council withholding £82000 from the Parish the despite his own Government saying this was wrong.

Score: 2

ChannelX
1:38pm Mon 10 Feb 14

Other than a few very strange individuals, is there really anyone who thinks any tax is too low?

Other than a few very strange individuals, is there really anyone who thinks any tax is too low?ChannelX

Other than a few very strange individuals, is there really anyone who thinks any tax is too low?

Score: 4

stratton man
6:11pm Mon 10 Feb 14

Wonder if Mr Russell the former Parish clerk has been made aware of Heenans slur about him.Think he may head for his lawyer when he does.

Wonder if Mr Russell the former Parish clerk has been made aware of Heenans slur about him.Think he may head for his lawyer when he does.stratton man

Wonder if Mr Russell the former Parish clerk has been made aware of Heenans slur about him.Think he may head for his lawyer when he does.

Score: 3

stratton man
6:11pm Mon 10 Feb 14

Wonder if Mr Russell the former Parish clerk has been made aware of Heenans slur about him.Think he may head for his lawyer when he does.

Wonder if Mr Russell the former Parish clerk has been made aware of Heenans slur about him.Think he may head for his lawyer when he does.stratton man

Wonder if Mr Russell the former Parish clerk has been made aware of Heenans slur about him.Think he may head for his lawyer when he does.

Score: 2

1 2 Could B
9:57am Tue 11 Feb 14

Councillor Heenan's dogged campaign, to banish parish councils, gives the impression that he is frightened of public response or is just plain power crazy.
It certainly makes him appear very untrastable in my opinion

Councillor Heenan's dogged campaign, to banish parish councils, gives the impression that he is frightened of public response or is just plain power crazy.
It certainly makes him appear very untrastable in my opinion1 2 Could B

Councillor Heenan's dogged campaign, to banish parish councils, gives the impression that he is frightened of public response or is just plain power crazy.
It certainly makes him appear very untrastable in my opinion

Score: 2

ChannelX
10:17am Tue 11 Feb 14

1 2 Could B wrote…

Councillor Heenan's dogged campaign, to banish parish councils, gives the impression that he is frightened of public response or is just plain power crazy.
It certainly makes him appear very untrastable in my opinion

Yes, we get that you don't like him and are continuing yet another of your bizarre personal vendettas. Odd.

[quote][p][bold]1 2 Could B[/bold] wrote:
Councillor Heenan's dogged campaign, to banish parish councils, gives the impression that he is frightened of public response or is just plain power crazy.
It certainly makes him appear very untrastable in my opinion[/p][/quote]Yes, we get that you don't like him and are continuing yet another of your bizarre personal vendettas. Odd.ChannelX

1 2 Could B wrote…

Councillor Heenan's dogged campaign, to banish parish councils, gives the impression that he is frightened of public response or is just plain power crazy.
It certainly makes him appear very untrastable in my opinion

Yes, we get that you don't like him and are continuing yet another of your bizarre personal vendettas. Odd.

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